The return of the King : discourses on the latter days
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- Publication date
- 1894
- Usage
- Public Domain Mark 1.0
- Topics
- Eschatology, End of the world, Quarterly series
- Publisher
- London : Burns and Oates
- Collection
- folkscanomy_religion; folkscanomy; additional_collections
- Language
- English
- Item Size
- 405.7M
CONTENTS.
SERMON I.
Anticipations of the Last Days.
But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart" (St. Luke ii. 10).
I. The Church blends the two Advents 1
Spirit in which the subject should be studied 2
II. Scripture on the two Advents 4
Our Lord's reference to the Judgment 6
Language of the Apostles 7
III. Conscience anticipating Judgment 8
The early Christian converts 10
IV. Succession of Fathers and Saints 11
Grounds of their anticipations 12
St. Jerome, St Chrysostom, St Gregory the Great 14
St. Vincent Ferrer 16
Conclusion. 16
SERMON II.
Prophecies of the End of the World.
"Unless there come a revolt first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition" (a Thess. ii. 3).
I. The Thessalonian Christians 19
Advantage to us of their difficulties 20
St. Matthew's words misconceived 22
Explanation by St. Paul 22
St. Paul on Antichrist 24
II. Early Christians instructed on Antichrist 25
The apostacy 26
"He who holdeth" 27
Explained of social order 28
The providential signs 29
III. Principles now at work 30
Successive results 31
Attacks on order 32
IV. Conclusion 33
SERMON III.
The Decay of Faith.
"But yet the Son of Man when He cometh, shall He find, think you, faith on earth?" (St. Luke xviii. 8.)
I. Meaning of our Lord's question 36
Remarks on interpretation 38
II. Scriptural passages 39
Decay of Faith 41
St Paul on the last times 42
III. Speech at Athens 43
Opening of the Epistle to the Romans 44
Description in the Epistle to Timothy 47
The two passages almost identical 47
IV. Good element in heathenism 47
Natural element 49
Satanic element 50
Not to be entirely restored 52
V. Revival of heathenism in our times 52
VI. Conclusion 55
SERMON IV.
The Creed of False Science.
"Take heed that you be not seduced" (St. Luke xxl 8).
I. Signs of the Judgment 59
Indifference to them, how marvellous 60
Our Lord's warning 61
II. Two elements in the prophecy 62
Their relative importance 63
Characteristics of men of the Last Day 64
St. John on Antichrist 65
III. False creed the foundation of insensibility 66
Such a creed in our time 67
Misuse of the name of science 68
Truths at the foundation of the doctrine of Judgment 70
IV. Modern and ancient "philosophers" 71
Creation "unknowable" 72
The Darwinian "Creator" 72
Doctrine as to man, the soul, the future 73
This "creed" prepares for blindness 74
V. Its destruction of morality 75
Its sweeping character 76
Its attractiveness 77
Its deceptiveness 79
Its hopelessness of correction 82
No hold left on which to fasten truth 83
VI. Conclusion 85
Note to page 73 (from the Creed of Science) 8
SERMON V.
The Decay of Charity.
"Because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold" (St. Matt. xxiv. 12). I. Our Lord's words 91
Decay of charity belongs to Christians 92
An objection suggested
II. Full meaning of our Lord's language 95
What would destroy charity 97
What our Lord expected from it 98
Our Lord's work complete 99
And that of the Holy Ghost 99
One thing more wanted 100
What our Lord expects from charity 102
Conditions of the work of the Church 102
Charity the cause of charity 102
Of heroic labours 103
Of continual prayer 103
III. Triumphs of the Church 103
Defects in charity from the beginning 105
Christians outside the Church 106
Separation has become normal 108
Treatment of the Holy See 108
Easterns and Anglicans 109
IV. Doctrine of opportunities 112
The history of the Church 112
Rise of Islam 113
The discovery of America and the Cape of Good Hope 115
Present state of the world 115
Conclusion 116
SERMON VI.
The National Spirit.
"Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" (St. Matt, xxiv. 7).
I. Strangeness of our Lord's words 118
The early Church and Jewish nationalism 120
We are accustomed to the spirit of nationalism 121
II. Usefulness of the consideration 122
Nationalism in modern literature 123
Nationalism as perpetuating hatred 124
It can only be restrained by charity 125
III. What is good in national feeling 127
God's designs in the system of nations 128
Principles underlying that system 129
Rights of national allegiance 131
Patriotism and the law of God 133
IV. Christian and Pagan patriotism 134
Contrast 135
Restraints on nationalism in ancient times 136
The work of the Church 137
Dangers from a false creed 138
Modern "Unities" 138
V. Our present dangers 139
Positive and negative side of patriotism 142
Conclusion 143
SERMON VII.
The Abomination of Desolation.
"You shall see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place" (St. Matt. xxiv. 15).
I. Interpretation of prophecy 145
The text can apply to our times 147
Continual fulfilments 148
II. The abomination of desolation at Jerusalem 149
Meaning of the explanation 151
The secular power in the sanctuary 152
III. Three relations between the two powers 153
The Christian system 154
The un-Christian system 156
The anti-Christian system 157
Cause of persecution 159
IV. Attack on the Church in England (1874) 160
Conclusion 163
SERMON VIII.
The Days of Noe.
"As it came to pass in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man" (St. Luke xvii. 26).
I. Recapitulation 165
Some remaining features 166
Engrossment in material enjoyment 167
The days of Noe 168
The Cities of the Plain 169
II. Points of comparison 171
Great advance in material comforts 172
Comparison with ancient times 173
Progress of the age favours the popularization of physical enjoyment 174
Deep moral corruption 175
Old and modern Catholics 176
SERMON IX.
The Loosing of Satan.
"The last state of that man becomes worse than the first" (St. Luke xL 36).
I. Features of the last days 178
Their connection 179
II. These are human elements 182
Activity of Satan fettered by our Lord 183
The return of the evil one 184
The uture loosing of Satan 185
III. Absurdity of supposing him idle 186
"Spiritualism" 188
It is very widespread 189
Human testimony 189
Internal evidence from "Universalism" 191
Satan detected 191
Reception of the system by the world 192
IV. Conclusion 194
SERMON X.
The Man of Sin.
"I am come in the name of My Father, and you receive Me not ; it another shall come in his own name, him you will receive" (St. John v. 43).
I. Our Lord speaks of Antichrist 197
General law of Providence 198
Scriptural prophecies concerning Antichrist 199
II. Antichrist a single person 201
Like other men 202
His character 203
Persecutor of the Church 204
Enoch and Elias 206
End of Antichrist 206
III. Extraordinary features his history 207
He will be the man of his time 208
Welcomed by the world 210
Fascination of his success 211
Analogous triumphs in history 213
IV. Satanic action discerned by the saints 213
Conclusion 215
SERMON XI.
The Church in the Last Days.
"Wherever the body shall be, there the eagles also shall be gathered together" (St. Matt. xxiv. 28).
I. Our Lord's words enigmatic 218
Recapitulation 219
II. The last prophecy of our Lord 221
His presence manifested in two ways 222
As the lightning 224
As the prey to the eagles 224
III. The notes of the Church 225
These are external evidences 227
Internal evidences also 227
The unction spoken of by St. John 228
IV. Need of both witnesses 230 Conclusion 232
SERMON XII.
Reasonableness of the Judgment.
"And God indeed having winked at the times of this ignorance, now declareth unto men, that all should everywhere do penance, because He hath appointed a day wherein He will judge the world in equity, by the Man Whom He hath appointed, giving faith to all by raising Him from the dead" (Acts xviii 30, 31)
I. St Paul at Athens 234
His audience 235
His address 236
Sternness of the doctrine 237
II. St Paul guided by the Holy Ghost 238
Truths of natural religion 239
Truths of revelation 241
Two parts of the doctrine of the Judgment 242
General and Particular Judgment 243
Contrast between the two 244
III. The early Christians full of the thought of the Judgment 245
Considerations concerning the Judgment 245
The Particular Judgment known only to ourselves 247
It is not only to be repeated at the General Judgment 248
Evil and good done by men after their deaths 248
IV. The providence of God is to be manifested 249
Correction of public opinion needed 251
Conclusion 252
SERMON XIII.
Particular and General Judgment.
"But with me it is a very small thine to be judged by you or by man's day, hut neither do I judge my own self. For I am not conscious to myself of anything, yet am I not hereby justified, but He that judgeth me is the Lord" (x Cor. iv. 3.4).
I. Three tribunals mentioned by St. Paul 254
His estimate of them 255
The judgment of men 256
The authority and accuracy of conscience 257
The tribunal of God 258
II. The two judgments of God stages in the rectification of our thoughts 260
Our gradual preparation by the three tribunals 261
Revelation to ourselves at the Particular Judgment 263
Its circumstances and conditions 265
III. A new range of knowledge then opened to us 266
The rewards of faithfulness 268
The Particular Judgment prepares us for the General. 269
Magdalene in the Pharisee's house 269
Revelation implied in the resurrection of the body 271
The consequences of sins revealed 272
IV. Conclusion 275
SERMON XIV.
The ways of God manifested.
"What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter " (St. John xiii. 7).
I. Our Lord's words to St. Peter 278
He did disclose some things 279
Manifestation of the ways of God 279
II. Delight of contemplation of the works of God 280
Beauty of the spiritual world 281
The symmetry and harmony of God's works in this order 282
Wonderful manifestation in this respect at the Last Day 283
Action of God on the soul 283
Both in saints and in sinners 284
III. We can now gather certain great principles of God's action 285
Many difficulties always remain 287
Answer of St. Paul 288
A number of questions 289
IV. These are instances of the difficulties to be solved 290
Answers to some 291
Conclusion 293
SERMON XV.
The Book of Life.
"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in the presence of the throne, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged by those things which were written in the books according to their works" (Apoc.xx.12). I. The first book in St. John 295
What is the second book? 297
Analogy of human justice 298
II. The book of life is the life of our Lord 299
Purpose of our Lord's life 300
What God has done in giving us His Son 300
Our Lord's life the norm of judgment 303
III. Instantaneousness of the Judgment 304
The light will remain for ever 305
Manifestation of the interior of our Lord 306
And of those who resemble Him 306
Conclusion 308
SERMON XVI.
The Saints of God.
"And when the Son of Man shall come in His majesty and all the angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His majesty, and all nations shall be gathered together before Him, and He shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats, and He shall set the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left" (St. Matt. xxv. 31—33).
I. Salvation may appear difficult 309
II. Difficulties do not deter us in worldly things 311
Descriptions of our Lord not discouraging 312
The perfection of our Lord frightens us 313
III. The world will always be the same 315
Our hopes at the death-bed of our friends 316
Salvation is the undertaking of God 317
He became Man for that purpose 318
IV. Great numbers of the saints 319
From all classes and conditions of men 320
Saying of St. Augustine 321
The saints had the same difficulties with ourselves 322
V. Thought of the particular providence of God 323
The saints have had the ordinary means of grace 326
VI. Conclusion 327
SERMON XVII.
All things made new.
"And I heard a great voice from the Throne, saying, Behold the Tabernacle of God with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself with them shall be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and death shall be no more, for the former things are passed away ; and He that sat on the Throne said, Behold, I make all things new." (Apoc. xxi. 3—5).
I. The beginning of the new creation 329
II. Unfulfilled prophecy 331
Circumstances of the end of the world 335
III. Terrible character of the Second Coming 336
But also joyful 337
Life from the dead 339
Blessedness of soul and body 341
Greater than in the state of innocence 342
The merits of the Passion 344
IV. The renovation of the universe 345
Holy companionship 347
V. The things that shall not pass away 347
Conclusion 350
Note 352
SERMON XVIII.
The Greatness of Death.
"He killed many more at his death, than he had killed before in his life" (Judges xvi. 30).
I. The last exploit of Samson 353
Opportunities of Christian death 354
II. Greatness of death in what it shows us of God 355
Destruction of the union between body and soul 359
Questions settled at death 361
III. Death the great dispeller of illusions 361
And the great revealer of truths 364
IV. Ennobling power of death 366
Conclusion 366
SERMON XIX.
The Sacredness of Death.
"And for them do I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth " (St. John xix. 19).
I. Meaning of sanctification, as applied to death 368
Natural witness to the sacredness of death 370
II. Death is sacred as belonging to God alone 371
And as bringing us into the presence of God 372
III. Death gives great glory to God 374
It shows the truthfulness of God 376
It punishes all rebellion against Him 377
It enables us to make Him the greatest of sacrifices 380
Immense merits to be gained by death 381
IV. Conclusion 383
SERMON XX.
The Happiness of Death.
"To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philipp. i. 21).
I. The happiness of death included in the foregoing considerations 386
It may be merciful even to the wicked 387
II. Misery of perpetuating a bad life 389
Mercy to the impenitent 390
Mercy to the human race 390
III. Our Lord speaks of death as a going to the Father 391
St Paul in the Epistles of the captivity 393
IV. The three motives of happiness in death 397
V. Conclusion 401
SERMON XXI.
Our Lord and Death.
"Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be accomplished which were written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man. For He shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and shall be mocked and scourged and spit upon, and when they have scourged Him they will put Him to death, and the third day He shall rise again" (St. Luke xviii. 31—33).
I. What has our Lord done for us by dying? 404
Passages from St. Paul 405
II. What is meant by our Lord dying for us 407
Difference between His case and that of the martyrs 408
He could do nothing for Himself 409
St. Paul on the fear of death 410
Our Lord's destruction of death 411
He is Lord of death. 412
He leaves it for a while in His Kingdom 415
III. Our Lord always turns evils into goods 414
The world beyond the grave 416
Penalty of death changed into an occasion of merit 417
IV. More than this, our Lord has taught us how to die 418
Value of the Passion in this respect 418
Conclusion 419
Includes bibliographical references
"PREFACE. The present volume is made up of a collection of Sermons, which were written and preached at various times and with long intervals between them. The first, the second, the third, the tenth, and the seventeenth, were preached in the December of 1868, and have already been published in the first volume of the Sermons by Fathers of the Society of Jesus, which has long been out of print. The fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth were preached in the Advent of 1881, and the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth, in the Advent of 1882. The seventh, which was partly occasioned by a particular attack on the Church, was preached on the Sunday before Advent, 1874, and was published at the time ; the eleventh was preached on the same Sunday a few years later: and the four Sermons which close the volume were preached on the Sunday afternoons in February, 1879. " Digitized by Google.
Includes bibliographical references
"PREFACE. The present volume is made up of a collection of Sermons, which were written and preached at various times and with long intervals between them. The first, the second, the third, the tenth, and the seventeenth, were preached in the December of 1868, and have already been published in the first volume of the Sermons by Fathers of the Society of Jesus, which has long been out of print. The fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth were preached in the Advent of 1881, and the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth, in the Advent of 1882. The seventh, which was partly occasioned by a particular attack on the Church, was preached on the Sunday before Advent, 1874, and was published at the time ; the eleventh was preached on the same Sunday a few years later: and the four Sermons which close the volume were preached on the Sunday afternoons in February, 1879. " Digitized by Google.
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- ReturnOfTheKingThe
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- ark:/13960/t02z4866g
- Ocr
- ABBYY FineReader 9.0
- Openlibrary
- OL16565333M
- Openlibrary_edition
- OL16565333M
- Openlibrary_work
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- 451
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- Internet Archive HTML5 Uploader 1.6.0
- Worldcat (source edition)
- 669707137
- Year
- 1894
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